A strained semiconductor device can have improved characteristics. Thus, it is desirable to generate tensile stress and/or compressive stress in the channel of a semiconductor device to improve its characteristics.
Stress can enhance electron and hole mobility in the channel of a semiconductor device to obtain higher performance of the semiconductor device. Techniques to introduce stress or strain to the channel of a planar device are known. However, a fin-type field effect transistor (FinFET) is a non-planar device. A FinFET is typically a double gate FET in which the channel is a semiconductor “fin” of a certain width and a certain height. The gate dielectric and gate are disposed around the fin. It is difficult to apply stress in the channel of a FinFET device.
In view of the above, there is a need for providing a semiconductor structure including at least one FinFET having a strained channel and a method for fabricating a FinFET device having such semiconductor structure.